Mountain Resort Koh Lipe — A Hillside Room Facing Koh Adang, With a Reef Off the Beach
What sets Mountain Resort Koh Lipe apart from the usual beach bungalows is that it doesn't sit flat on the sand — it climbs the hill at the northern tip of the island, above Sunrise Beach. It opened in 2001 and had a major renovation in 2014, and the two things guests keep mentioning are sea-view rooms that frame the green slopes of Koh Adang island right in the window and a shallow coral reef just off the beach — a few steps into the water and you're already looking at fish. The Trip.com score sits at 8.9 from 376 reviews, with location alone rated 9.3.
Start with the resort itself — Mountain Resort is built into the hillside, with rooms stepping up the slope across a main building and green-roofed bungalows scattered through the trees. Room types run from the 35 sqm Deluxe Garden View entry room, through the 50 sqm Grand Garden View and the 45–50 sqm Family Bungalow, up to the 55 sqm Ocean Pool Villa with its own plunge pool on a deck looking straight out to sea. Most rooms are finished in warm wood tones with a sitting balcony, and many open their curtains onto a full window of Koh Adang.
The heart of the place is Sunrise Beach in front of the resort — a strip of white sand that stays quieter than Pattaya Beach, the island's main hub on the other side. What guests love most is that the beach has a shallow coral reef just a few metres out, so you can wade in with a mask and watch fish without ever taking a boat. Mornings here are a genuine sunrise spot, true to the name — plenty of people get up to watch the early light catch the edge of Koh Adang before heading down for a swim.
"You open the door to emerald-green water and Koh Adang sitting right in front of you, and in the morning you just walk down to the sand to snorkel — I didn't want to fly home."
For meals there's Mountain Restaurant, a glass-walled dining room open to the sea. Breakfast is a buffet served 7:00–10:00, and guests single out the wide spread of fresh fruit and the view that comes with it. Lunch through early evening is à la carte, both Thai and Western. One thing to flag up front — the kitchen closes fairly early (around 5 pm), so for a late dinner you'll want to head down into Koh Lipe town around Walking Street instead.
The location works in your favour if you want quiet. The resort sits at the northern end of the island, and it's about a 10-minute walk along the beach or across the island to Walking Street, the pedestrian strip lined with restaurants, bars and tour shops. In the evenings the resort runs a free shuttle to Walking Street roughly 6–10 pm, which saves the climb back up the hill at night. There's also an outdoor pool plus a separate children's pool for families.
Now the honest limitations — because it's built on a hill, the path down to the beach is a fairly steep set of stairs, so anyone who struggles with steps, or travelling with older relatives, should plan around it. Some reviews mention older rooms that haven't been updated yet, and the occasional mosquito or bug, which comes with the territory at a nature-side island resort — bring repellent and you'll be more comfortable. A few staff have limited English, though that's rarely a dealbreaker for the essentials.
On price — the Deluxe Garden View starts around ฿2,900/night in normal periods, which is fair value for a garden-view room on an island where nothing is cheap. For a full sea view or the Ocean Pool Villa with its private pool, the rate climbs a good deal higher. Koh Lipe largely shuts for the monsoon (mid-May to mid-October, with some boats suspended), so in high season from November to April rooms fill quickly — book several weeks ahead.
The bottom line: Mountain Resort Koh Lipe suits travellers who want a hillside sea-view room, somewhere quieter than the main beach, and a reef to snorkel right off the property — without paying luxury-resort rates. If you can handle the steep stairs and a bit of island wildness, it delivers Koh Adang views that are hard to find at this price. For the fullest experience, book the Ocean Pool Villa — you can roll out of bed straight into a private pool facing the sea.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Sea views over Koh Adang from the rooms are stunning
- ✓ Reef right off the beach — snorkel without taking a boat
- ✓ Breakfast has lots of fresh fruit and a great view
- ✓ Friendly staff who help arrange snorkelling tours
- ! Steep stairs down to the beach — tiring up and down
- ! Some older rooms not yet renovated
- ! Kitchen closes early; late dinner means heading into town
- ✓ Quieter setting than the main Pattaya Beach
- ✓ Sunrise viewpoint at Sunrise Beach is beautiful
- ✓ Ocean Pool Villa with private pool is worth it for couples
- ✓ Free evening shuttle to Walking Street
- ! Hillside layout not ideal for anyone who struggles with steps
- ! Some mosquitoes and bugs, as at any nature-side resort
- ! A few staff have limited English
- 💡If stairs are difficult, or you're with older relatives or small children — the path to the beach is steep, so request a lower room near the pool and entrance and note it at booking → higher hillside rooms have better views but more walking
- 💡If you want a full sea view — entry Garden View rooms mostly look at greenery; you need to step up to an Ocean View or Pool Villa to get Koh Adang filling the window → specify "sea view" at booking and compare rates carefully
- 💡If you plan to dine at the resort — the kitchen closes around 5 pm, so a late dinner means walking or taking the shuttle to Walking Street → plan dinner in town, or eat early at the resort